"Wine, women, and song"
students Erik (Rutger Hauer, who had previously starred in
Verhoeven's outrageous arthouse erotic film
TURKISH DELIGHT), Gus (Jeroen Krabbé, who would play
the lead in THE FOURTH MAN), Alex (Derek De Lint,
later in
BLACK BOOK), and Jan (Huib Rooymans) all find
themselves on different sides of the collaborators and the
resistance when Germany occupies the Netherlands. Erik and
Guus join the resistance (Erik does so in the spirit of
adventure) while Alex joins the Dutch army. Jan is a Jew and
finds his life threatened. Erik's friend Robby (Eddy Habbema)
arranges for Erik to flee to London, but Erik tries to give
his space to Jan but he is captured. Erik and Guus escape to
London where they meet the Dutch Queen (Andrea Domburg,
KEETJE TIPPEL) who has a residence there, and they
collaborate with Colonel Rafelli (Edward Fox, A BRIDGE TOO
FAR) and British soldier Susan (Susan Penhaligon, THE
CONFESSIONAL/HOUSE OF MORTAL SIN). When Guus and Erik
are sent home to bring some resistance leaders back to
London on behalf of the Queen, changed alliances back home
lead to tragedy. Based on the true story of Erik Hazelhoff
Roelfzema (and his own novel), SOLDIER OF ORANGE is
early big-budget Paul Verhoeven; indeed, it was the most
expensive Dutch film at the time (with British location
footage and stars). Although the plot is highly eventful and
the tone is epic (Verhoeven also edited a four-hour version
for Dutch television), it is not without elements of
Verhoeven's trademark envelope-pushing sex and violence, but
it also possesses several great Verhoeven moments (for
instance, once-friends-now-enemies Erik and Alex's
tense/humorous tango in the middle of a party). Fans of
vintage Verhoeven will want to pick this one up (as well as,
perhaps, fans of his action and sci-fi American work), but
BASIC INSTINCT fans might want to check out
TURKISH DELIGHT
and THE FOURTH MAN.

Released twice
previously in the UK by Tartan (in 2002 and 2007), SOLDIER OF
ORANGE has been reissued by Palisades Tartan in a
dual-layer, progressive, anamorphic transfer of the Dutch
theatrical version (in what is apparently otherwise a direct
port of the Tartan release). Three versions of the film exist.
There is the four hour TV version, which is only available on
non-English friendly Dutch DVD (the theatrical version is
available in a separate edition). Then there's the Dutch
theatrical version as seen here and on Anchor Bay's US DVD. The
film's original English-dubbed theatrical was titled SURVIVAL
RUN and was cut down to 120 minutes (this version was
released on tape in the UK and US and is likely the 115 minute
cut offered on the French disc along with the original
theatrical cut).

Palisades' DVD
features the Dutch teaser, the US theatrical trailer, film notes
by Tom Dawson, filmographies, and a World Cinema Trailer Reel
(likely also a port from Tartan as it includes
BATTLE ROYALE, which has since been reissued by Arrow
Video). Like their DVDs of Verhoeven's THE FOURTH MAN and
KATIE TIPPEL, the OOP and expensive Anchor Bay disc
preserves only the Dutch language version (although all three of
these films were released on cassette in their English dubs) and
includes an English audio commentary track with Verhoeven that
has not been carried over to the Tartan and Palisades editions
(the French disc includes the commentary but no English
subtitles for the film, it also includes an hour-long
documentary and Verhoeven interview).